From the News: China temporarily bans wildlife trade in wake of outbreak

In world health news, the big story as of late has been the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus, which has already spread widely and claimed 50 lives.  While scientists are still learning more about the disease, right now it appears to have had its origins in wild snakes from China, which spread the disease to humans when they were brought to market.  If this is true, it would prove to be very similar to the SARS virus, which originated in Asian civets that were likewise being traded.

China temporarily bans wildlife trade in wake of outbreak

If its implementation is a success - and if it proves to be lasting - the closure of Chinese wildlife markets would be a gamechanger for many species.  Discussing China in relation to conservation has always been something I've found awkward, mostly because there is so much overt racism that many westerners heap on China as the supposed source of all of our environmental problems, while downplaying out own contributions.  Still, the fact remains that China is the world's most populous country with a large middle class and the purchasing power to satisfy their demand for wildlife products.  Their impact is hard to overestimate.

In this Jan. 9, 2020, photo provided by the Anti-Poaching Special Squad, police gather outside a store suspected of trafficking wildlife in Guangde city in central China's Anhui Province. The outbreak of a new virus linked to a wildlife market in central China is prompting renewed calls for enforcement of laws against the trade in and consumption of exotic species. (Anti-Poaching Special Squad via AP)

Wildlife markets, bringing medically-compromised species into extremely close contact with potential buyers, who then go home to their families and friends, are a natural breeding ground for zoonotic diseases.  Coronavirus certainly isn't the first disease to come from these places, and I doubt that it will be the last.  Still, if this measure taken by the Chinese government proves effective in reducing or halting the spread of the disease, hopefully it will (in addition to saving lives, which is the primary desired outcome) cause people to re-evaluate the role of the wildlife trade in society.